It may not have been Maccabi’s most polished performance, but it was an important step forward. The victory was the team’s second in a row, lifting its record to 5–10 and renewing hope for a playoff push.
“Today’s a great win for us and we’re going to continue to get better,” Walker said. “The way we’ve been playing these last four or five games has been really good.”
ASVEL opened strong behind Nando De Colo, who sparked his team to a 14–7 start. Maccabi responded with a Walker-led 12–0 run, but the momentum shifted repeatedly. The game was tied at halftime and saw eight lead changes in the third quarter before Maccabi finally created separation. Even after blowing a 14-point second-quarter cushion, Walker remained unfazed.
“It’s all about runs,” he explained. “You’re gonna have a run, they’re gonna have a run. (Glynn) Watson had no more than 3 points in the first half — he finished with 21. The game’s all about give and take. They started making shots, but we stayed persistent. We had some mental fortitude and held on for the win.”